Shoe-display stand



Aug. 27, 1940. I HQFFMANN I 2,212,602

SHOE-DISPLAY STAND Filed Ju ne 26, 1939 portion and the supported shoe on the line 2-2 distinctly shorter than the width of: the ball-zone 4 Patented Au 27, .1940 s p 2 212 02."

SHOE-DISPLAY srAnD y Franz'lioffmann, Boston, Mass.-.

" Application June 26, 1939, erial No. 281,137

w I v p v .17 Claims. (015211 37); r

This invention relates to a shoe-display. stand be made'of anysuitable metal, such as stainless such as can be used to good advantage for dissteel, bronze, or aluminumorlbemade {of steel playing shoes in a storewindow or show-case. suitably electro-plated with chromiumor other In'displaying shoes and moreespecially womlustrous andjprotective metal finish. While '1 it 5 ens shoes, it is desirable that the prospective is possible tdfltashiqn the parts from a single 5 purchaser view the shoe so that the tailored efpiece of metal, ithas been found more econom-' fects or lines, including the bottom and heel icalinactual practice to start with three sepa lines, be brought into as full perspective as posrate parts ahdrto fix them suitably toyonefansible, This very desideratuin is realized by the other, asby threading the lower end portion of display stand of the p-resent invention, .which therod ll intoa correspondingly threadedap 10 enables stable supportof the shoe on an inerture inthecenter ofthef base l0 andas by clined supporting area distinctly smaller than creating atongue or rivet element l3 at'the-upper that of the shoe-sole forepart while the shoe is end portion of the rod H and heading it over tiltedor inclined forwardly at an angle conducive the margins of an a'perture through the central";

5 to ample perspective. bottom portion of the-dished member. 12 "(see 15 Generally stated, the shoe-display stand here Fig. 2)} p i of comprises a pedestal whose upper end portion The dished member I2 is defined by an uppresents a shoe-supporting surface at a substanstanding annular rim I4 I and; a bottom whose tial angle of inclination to the horizontal, such main body portion 'lE-ispreferabIy offset slightly surface being of an area distinctly smallerthan downwardly from its portion I511, adjacent to the that of a shoe-sole forepart and being afforded rim l4. By imparting to the'dished member l2 by material of, such anti-slip quality as to the particular shape indicated, such member support stably thereon a shoe internally weighted serves well its intended role as -a holder or ref 7 at its toe and resting only'at its shoe-sole foretainer for a substantially fiat disk of compres part area on such surface, More specifically, e, fls ip material, a po 55 the upper end portion of the pedestal may adrubber, on which the shoe-sole forepart is to vantageously take the form'of a dished member rest. A disk I IE5 or spongerubber'is" shown in into which is frictionally fitted a substantially Fig. 2 as being fitted into the dished memberIZ fiat blank of suitableanti-slip material, such as with its edges-frictionally' engaging the internal w sponge rubber or its equivalent. wall of the rim and with its upper surface pro- 30 With the foregoing and other features and jecting sufficiently b ve pp r edge oi such objects in View, the present invention will now rim topresentthe desired'inclined shoe-support be described with particular reference to the acing surface whosearea is much smaller than that companying drawing, wherein, p of ashoe-sole forepart; g I u Fig. 1 represents asideview of a stand embody- As is apparent' fromFigs. 1 and 2, which show ing the present invention, a shoe being-shown awomans shoe S supportedon such disk I6, not stablysupported thereon with an appropriate only is the diameter of such disk considerably weight inside its toe region. 1 shorter than the length offthe shoe-sole forepart Fig. 2 is asection through the supportingstand from the front shank line forwardly but it is of Fig. 1. y r of the sole, at which zone the shoe rests on or Fig. 3 illustrates in perspective the weight to be makes contact with the disk. It might be noted inserted into the toe region of the shoe before that the diameter or the-disk may, pursuant to the shoe is placed on the stand. the present invention, be'of such relatively small Fig. 4 depicts in perspective a modified form of length that the foregoing statementfappliesto 4 stand equipped with" two shoe-supporting strucwomens shoes of-varlous sizes, includingeven tures embodying the present invention. A the smallest-size'womans shoe standard on the The stand of Fig. l comprises a horizontal or market." Because of the slightly downwardly offflatbase l0 and a vertically upstanding rod ll, set bottom portion i5 of the dished member I2,

which togetherconstitute the pedestal. Sjuitably the 'upper surface, of the disk" Iii-tends normally 5} ainxed to the upper end of the rod H is a dished to assume a 'slight downward concavity 'on'its member l2, which occurs at a substantial angle upper or supportin'g surface, especially 'under the of inclination to the horizontal, forinstance, an weight of theweighte'dshoe s. This concavity is' angle of approximatelySOfl It might be noted desirable'in' that it pro motes"frictiOhalcQntaCt that the parts of the stand thus far described may between substantiallytlie entire upper surface 55 of the disk It and the ball zone of the sole surnumerous positions of placement of the ball face, which, in the case ofa newly-manufactured shoe, has a slight downward convexity at the i ball zone By ensuring contact between the ball zone of. the sole surface and substantially all the upper surface of the disk l6, it becomes possible to stabilize or balance the shoe readily at zone of the sole on the upper surface of the disk it; I i

v Stabilization or ba'lanbingof. the shoe with its shoe-sole forepart resting on the upper surface of the disk It is realized by inserting into the toe portion of the shot; an iron'or other weight w 1 predetermined to shiftthe center ofgrayity of the shoe sufficiently frontwardly thereof to prevent the shoe from falling backwardiy' off-the stand but :insufiicient to overcome the. frictional drag or force exerted by the inclined upper sur- "face of the disk [6 on the shoe soleand tending quality, the shoe would; tend to slide or move downwardlyoff the stand, for theweight-w shifts I the center of gravity of the shoe sufiiciently frontwardlyto create, 'underthe angle of forward inclination: of the sole-supporting surface of the disk a component; of downward slide or motion tendingto cause the shoe to fall off a SUJOSiJBJ'l? tially fiatsurface of low anti-slip or frictional quality, particularly one of small area, and/or rendering impossible stablesupport on such latter surface otxthe. shoe over the desired comparatively largeshoe-soleforepart area, as is true in the ca'se ofthedisplay stand hereof. The display stand hereof is further advantageous in that the shoeis-sastarbly supported thereon as not to be dislodged by such vibration, air-eddies, and other influences as normally prevail in astore-window or show-case, I Sponge rubberhas been found to be an excell'ent'and economical material for furnishing such anti-slip quality as is desired in the disk It. Again, a'sponge-rubber disk may be easily and appropriately fit int'othe dished member IZwith- 'out the need of adhesive or other extraneous fastening, agency, for such disk may be cut to a slightly larger diameter than that of the annular rimv Hi and then readily compressed or crowded into such member soas to engage frictionally the internal Wall of the rimv soas to have no tendency whatever to; ,dis'associate itself. from such'memberoriall out when the stand 'is perrnitted to tip .orfallyas. during handling. When such disk i6 is fitted into the dished member l2,

' its upper surface tends toassume; the desired slight downward concavity for substantially compiste-contact with-the slightly downward convex ball zoneof the sole surface. Inlieu. of sponge rubber, it is possible to use other anti-slip and preferably also resiliently compressible materials,

' feninstance, the spongy, resilient, cellulose material now being soldffor bathroom use by Du Ifont Company, various rubber substitutes now available; on the market,- and such other materials as exliibit a coefficient of friction and preferaloly,also. resilientcompressibility in the same order-of magnitudeas; those "of soft-vulcanized.

tubb e eciallri-sp nse' ru ber.

stand are to be given the broadest construction 2,212,602 I Rather than being equipped with but a single,

inclined, shoe-supporting surface, the display stand hereof may be built with a number of such surfaces in suitably spaced relationship. Thus, according to another embodiment of the present invention appearing in Fig. 4, a main pedestal,

inclusive of. a hcrizontal base H and a vertically upstanding rod it, carries suitably afiixed to the upper end portion of such rod a horizontal crossarm 19 towhose end portions vertically upstand- 1 ing rods 23 are suitably secured. To the upper end portion'of each rodtil is suitably fixed at a 1 substantial angle of inclination tothe horizontal 'a dished member 2! constituting a holder for a sponge rubber disk 22. The structure of each dished member 2i and the relationship thereto of its sponge-rubber'disk 22 may be similar to that of the dished member l2 and the relationship thereto of. its sponge-rubber disk 56. The horizontal cross-arm l9 and its two associated vertically upstanding rods 2t mayhence be consideredkas a duplex 'super-pedestal supported by one lower main pedestal.

Other changes and modifications of the shoedisplaystand hereof being possible, it is to be understood that the appended claims for such permissible in the light of the prior art.

Iclaiznzv i 1. A shoe-display stand comprising a pedestal whose upper end portion presents'a shoe-supporting surface at a substantial angle of inclination to the horizontal, said surface being of. an area distinctly smaller than that of a womans shoe-sole forepart and being afforded by material of such anti-slip quality as to support stably thereon a shoe internally weighted'at its toe and resting only at its shoe-sole forepart area on said surface, the span of said surface in a lengthwise direction being considerably shorter than the length of the shoe-sole forepart from the front shank line forwardly and in a crosswise direction being distinctly shorter thanthe width of. the ball-zone-of the sole.

2. A shoe-display stand comprising a pedestalwhose upper end portion presents a shoe-supporting surface at a substantial angle of inclination to the horizontal, said surface beingof. an area distinotlysmaller than that of a womans shoe-sole forepart and being afforded by resilia ently compressible material of such anti-slip qualityias to support stably thereon a shoe internally weighted at its toe and resting only at its shoe-sole forepart on said surface, the span of said surface in a lengthwise direction being considerably shorter than the length ofv the shoesole forepart from the front shank line forwardly and a crosswise direction being distinctly shorter than the width of the ball-zone of the sole. a

3. A shoe-display standcomprising a pedestal whose upper end portion presents a shoe-supporting surface at a substantial angle of inclination to the horizontal, said surface being of. an

area distinctly smaller than that of a womans.

shoe-sole forepart and being afforded by sponge rubber of. such anti-slip quality as to support stably thereon a shoe internally weighted at its toe and resting only at its shoe-sole forepart area on said surface, the span of said surface in a'lengthwise' direction being considerably shorter than the length of the shoe-sole forepart from the front shank line'forwardly'and in a crosswise direction being distinctly shorter than the width of the. ball-zone of the sole.

y 7 2,212,602 4. In a shoe-display stand, a pedestal, a dished member fixed to theupper endof said pedestal at a substantial angle of inclination to the horizontal, and a substantially fiat blank of; anti-slip material-fitted into said member and presenting an inclined shoe-supporting surface whose area is much smaller than that of a womans shoe-sole forepart, said material being of such anti-slip quality as to support stably thereon .a shoe internally weighted at its toe and resting only at its shoe-sole forepart area on said surface.

5. In a shoe-vdisplaystand, a pedestal, a round dish fixed to the upper end of said pedestal at a substantial angle of inclination to the horizontal,

said dish being defined by an upstanding annular V rim and a bottom; and a'disk of resiliently com pressible anti-slip material fitted into said dish and presenting an inclined shoe-supporting surface whose area is much'smaller than that of a l wcmans shoe-sole iorepart, said material being of such anti-slip quality as to support stably thereon a shoe internally weighted at its toe and resting only'at its shoe-sole forepart area on said surface.

6. 'In a shoe-display stand, a pe'destalja round dish fixed to the upper end of, said pedestal at a substantial angle of inclination to the horizontal, said dish being defined by an upstanding annular rim and a bottom havinga. main body portion slightly downwardly offset from its portion adjacent to said'rimpand a substantially flat disk of resiliently compressible anti-slip material fitted into said dish with its edges frictionally engaging theinternal wall of said rim and with its upper surface projecting above the upper edge of said rimto. present an inclined shoe-supportsurface.

'7. Ina shoe-display stand, a pedestal, a round dish fixed to the upper'end'of said pedestal at a I I substantial angle of inclinationto the vl'iorizontal,

said dish being defined by an upstanding annular rim and a bottom having a main body portion slightlydownwardly'ofisct from its portion adjacent to said rim, anda substantially flatdisk of sponge rubber fitted into said :dish with its-edges frictionally engagingthe internal wall of said rim and with its upper surface'projecting above the upper edge of 'saidrim to present an inclined shoe-supporting surface whose area is much smaller than that of awomans shoe-sole fore- 25 part, said material'being of such anti-slip quality l as to support stably thereon a shoe internally weighted at its'toe andresting only. at its shoesole forepart area on said'surface.

I FRANZ HOFFMANN. 

